Makin takes seven in derby win

LOTS of people visited Norden Cricket Club on Sunday, but few of them witnessed an intriguing match between The Stags and visitors Rochdale. Those who packed into the pavilion to watch a trio of televised football fixtures missed a brilliant knock by young Harvey Fitton, a patient fighting knock from Mark Butterworth, and a seven-wicket haul for Ollie Makin.

LOTS of people visited Norden Cricket Club on Sunday, but few of them witnessed an intriguing match between The Stags and visitors Rochdale.

Those who packed into the pavilion to watch a trio of televised football fixtures missed a brilliant knock by young Harvey Fitton, a patient fighting knock from Mark Butterworth, and a seven-wicket haul for Ollie Makin, and had an umpire raised his finger one more time instead of shaking his head to an appeal they would also have missed Neil Avery picking up his 1,000th wicket for one club.

Nelly, of course, reached his CLL 1,000 some time ago, the milestone being reached at Woodhouse Lane, but the former Castleton Moor player was left on 999 for Rochdale after picking up three wickets on Sunday. .

One of his victims, courtesy of a Dom Ayres catch, was Harvey Fitton who was joined by the equally young Matthew Buckley at the crease with Norden in all sorts of trouble at 134 for eight.

Fitton played some lovely shots and was hard on anything pitched short of a length.

Buckley also looked good on his way to 15 before he was caught off Avery’s bowling with 174 on the board. As it transpired it was a match-winning stand, and Fitton then pushed the total up to 207, without last man Zane Arthur scoring, before he was out.

Earlier in the innings Hashum Malik had played on for six, and Paul Morrell had been bowled by Rochdale’s stand-in professional Darren Broom for a steady 20.

Nick Brierley lost his off stump to Broom, then home deputy Bilal Khiljee was run out on 47 after a misunderstanding with Dexter Fitton.

Fitton was then out to a return catch, Avery stretching to his left to take the ball one-handed, and Collinson went to a skier pouched by Mark Butterworth.

Makin edged a Scott Butterworth delivery to Avery in the slips, while Greg Tattersall was unlucky in that he got bat to a delivery from Butterworth but watched as the ball rolled onto his stumps with enough force to dislodge the bails.

It was then Harvey Fitton to the rescue, and Norden's attack had something to bowl at.

Arthur made the first breakthrough for Norden when he had Ayres caught behind by Brierley for five, with the total on 11.

Smith and Broom carried the score to 59, but in no time at all Rochdale found themselves in a perilous position at 66 for four. Smith was caught by Buckley, Daz Cryer was bowled by Dexter Fitton when trying to sweep to leg, and Broom went to the first ball of the next over, caught by Tattersall.

Scott Butterworth and McKenna Gibson staged something of a revival, scoring 19 and 25 respectively, and later Mark Butterworth added what might in some circumstances have been a valuable unbeaten 32.

Unfortunately for him Rochdale's flimsy tail-end could not come up with enough to see their team get closer to the target, but at least Rochdale picked up a losing point as Makin swept through their ranks to finish with seven for 64 from two spells totalling 15.2 overs.